New Year, New Opportunity:

Reggie Edwards & Molly Field Weigh In on New Year’s Resolutions

BY EMILY KAUFFMAN

COMMUNICATION

New Year’s Resolutions…we’re all familiar with them, just like we’re all familiar with the way that initial burst of motivation tapers off come February. Did you know 91% of people who set New Year’s Resolutions don’t stick with them? Rather than getting discouraged, try approaching the New Year with a different mindset—one designed to help you accomplish your health and fitness goals.

With over twenty years of experience as a personal trainer, Director of Fitness Reggie Edwards is no stranger to New Year’s Resolutions. The biggest problem, in his experience, is that people set themselves up for failure by either having unrealistic goals or by having too many goals. “People have more success when they set individual goals—that helps you focus on that goal to meet it,” he says. “You should set an ultimate goal, then break it down into increments.”

What does that look like? Let’s say your ultimate goal is to lose twenty-five pounds. Divide that goal into milestones: your first milestone could be losing ten pounds. You also need a plan. Say you decide you’ll reach your goal by working out three times a week and eating healthier; that’s great, but you need to get specific! “I love Do Si Dos,” Reggie laughs, “I know if I want to lose weight, I’m going to have to put the cookies away or maybe give up sweets altogether or drinking for the month of January to get to those first ten pounds.”

And when you reach that first milestone? Celebrate! Rewarding yourself is an important part of staying motivated. When asked what else helps with motivation, Reggie says to keep your goal at the forefront of your mind. “It helps to talk about it. It also helps if you have somebody doing it with you—friends, family, a partner. Tracking your progress will help you stick to it because there’s nothing more motivating than seeing progress.”

Progress can be easy to see in the early weeks, but what about when you hit the dreaded plateau? “During plateaus, look at what you’re doing,” Reggie advises. “Maybe you need a change to your workout. If you’ve been doing a routine for six or eight weeks, we adapt to what we do, so your body is going to respond to a new activity. Try a new form of exercise or challenge yourself with your current routine—more reps, more weight—to help you break through.” The Fitness Center offers a varied class schedule with everything from yoga to boot camp, so there is plenty to choose from if you’re looking to switch up your routine.

One pitfall to avoid is equating eating healthier with eating less: “If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to eat more frequently, like five times a day,” Reggie says. “A lot of the time, people aren’t eating enough to reach their weight loss goals.” He recommends coming up with an eating plan as well as an exercise plan. “Try making a time schedule and stick to it. Eat your healthy snack at 3:00 p.m. even if you aren’t hungry because it’ll keep you from being really hungry later on and it will keep your metabolism going throughout the day.” The other critical element for reaching your weight loss goals— staying hydrated! “We want cozy drinks in the cold weather— hot cocoa, coffee—but you’ve got to make sure you’re drinking enough water.”

It’s important to be honest with yourself. When it comes to goal setting, Reggie emphasizes that reasonable means realistic, so if you’re new to working out, try walking. “If you walk three to five times a week for twenty or thirty minutes, you’re getting a lot of benefits for your heart and body. Just be active. Start with walking then add in some bodyweight exercises: stepping up onto a step, squats, lunges, push ups. These things are very beneficial and for somebody who doesn’t work out, they’re going to be sore and see the difference from incorporating something like that into their lifestyle.”

What About a More Holistic Approach?

There’s more to fitness than working out and eating well. “I reject the idea of a ‘resolution’ because it implies that there’s a problem to be fixed. I like to think of it as an intention,” says SGCC yoga instructor Molly Field. “What’s your intention for today? A whole year—365 days—that’s a big chunk, and you eat an elephant one bite at a time, as they say. Everyone makes a big deal out of New Year’s but treat it like any other day in terms of wanting the best for yourself.”

“We live in a world of abundance. Everything we need is right there but sometimes we forget, and we feel disconnected. To me, it is that intention to be present in the abundance that we experience on a daily basis, for example, the bright sun on your face for just two minutes.” What happens when you get out of bed as soon as you feel awake and get natural light on your face? The light signals your pineal gland to shut off melatonin production. Sunlight on your face will automatically shift your body into knowing it’s daytime and suffuse you with energy.

Then what? “Well, if you feel something really good, breathe in!” Molly encourages. “Pull it into your lungs, feel that breath, then let it out. That’s the mood.”

“All movement is forward,” Molly says. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel like that, but it’s just at a slower pace. It’s always progress, it just feels a little jammed up sometimes. And when we breathe into the jammed-up-ness, just like in yoga, the oxygen is going to go into your blood and that blood is going to go where it needs to go. It’s that abundance again. We have all the hormones and everything we need in our bodies; it is just a mind shift.”

For Molly, intentionally seeking a balanced state is key. When your intention is balance, then you’ll be better equipped to navigate life’s ups and downs: “You know there is going to be a positive and a negative, and you’ll be able to find yourself in the middle, that sweet spot, the fulcrum—that’s where the love is.”

Starting the New Year in Balance

On Sunday, January 8, Molly led SGCC’s first Sound Bath. Molly regularly leads sound baths at other locations and received requests from members to host one at the Club. The sound bath is an opportunity to sit in quiet with other people who also have an intention of balance. When you’re in a space with other people, like the sound bath or a yoga practice, you feed off each other’s energy. The benefits are amplified and especially enriching if your intention is to have a good experience.

“Good” doesn’t always mean without discomfort. Some people cry. Pain is a manifestation of a mental, spiritual, emotional, or physical block. Similar to breathing into your pain during a yoga practice, the sonic experience lets you examine your discomfort and approach it, and the block causing it, with intention, allowing you to move forward.

SGCC’s first sound bath was a sold out event. We look forward to offering future sound baths to our members in the months to come.

Skin & Beauty Special

During the months of January and February, members can enjoy a 45-minute Express Facial with a 15-minute Hand Treatment, Foot Massage, OR Scalp Massage, plus a complimentary gift all for $75. Contact the Fitness Desk at fitness@sgccva.org or 703.451.1485 to schedule. 